THE OSPKKY. 3 



brought from about 125 yards. A few nests found at about the same distance 

 from any oak had the favorite foundation twigs predominating over apple 

 twigs. Apple rootlets were well in evidence in the nest proper, but all of them 

 were lined as usual with the fil>re and hair mentioned. For a nesting site a 

 medium sized oak is generally chosen, one with plenty of cover to it, usually 

 near the end of a limb, not in the forks, but among the twigs, ranging from 

 8 to 10 feet from the ground to 40 feet in the tops of large oaks, nearly always 

 in a well .selected site to expose the collector to most risk and trouble. Being 

 so built the nests are not so easily missed by the experienced eye. 



This season I took a set of four eggs containing large embryos, on April 

 15, from a nest 13 feet from the ground, near the end of a long horizontal 

 limb of a medium sized live oak where its foliage nearly chafed that of a com- 

 panion oak. Eighteen days later the pair had i eggs, embryos formed, in a 

 nest 9 feet from the ground, at end of a horizontal limb of a bushy live oak, 50 

 feet distant from the original site. April 16, I took from a second pair, 5 

 eggs containing small endjryos, 20 feet from ground in outer branches of very 

 "bushy" live oak of quite largo dimensions. The second set of this pair was 

 found incomplete 20 days later, nearly 40 feet up in the crown of a topmost 

 branch of a spreading live oak. It was only by the aid of ropes that the nest 

 was reached, and it contained 3 fresh eggs. This oak was 200 feet from the 

 site of the original nest. April 19, I took from a third pair 5 eggs containing 

 medium sized embryos, from the top of a small oak, 20 feet from the ground, 

 and the second set, of 5 eggs, incubation begun, 14 days later. The site was 

 15 feet up among new shoots of a severely pruned pear tree, and the nest was 

 found begun two days after the first set was taken. April 21, I took from a 

 fourth pair 4 eggs, although the bird was noted on the nest on the 19th and 

 20th. The site was 9 feet from the ground in outside lower branches of a 

 gigantic live oak. The eggs of this pair of birds are marked much like eggs 

 of the Woodhouse Jay (Ajjhelocoma ■woodhousei') although not so profusely. 

 I have taken the eggs of this pair every season for the last 4 years. Each set 

 was of 4 eggs only, except one of 5 eggs, also their second set this season which 

 was of 6 eggs, and handsomer, and showing more variation than any of their 

 preceding. One egg is not darker than those of the Bluebird {Sialia sialis) 

 and all of them run very much so, probably owing to the thinness of the shell. 

 In each set one egg is marked on the small end and is free from markings on 

 the opposite end, and on almost the entire egg. The second set this season 

 was taken 14 days from the first, fresh. The nest was hurriedly constructed 

 considering the light layers of foundation twigs and scant lining, but well 

 capped with red rootlets of apple trees. It was 13 feet from the ground in the 

 top of a scrubby apple tree in an apple orchard, and about 180 feet distant 

 from the original site. On July 7, unfeathered young were found in a nest 



